Trouble in Mali

[michi]

Well, Guinea has settled down, but now things are going awry in Mali. Pretty much the last place I would have expected this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17462111

Michi.

[michi]

Another article:

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/321613

Michi.

[rachelnguyen]

My heart is sick.

Here's the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/world ... tions.html

I have been quite concerned with things over the last month. It seemed like a confluence of significant issues were coming together: the beginnings of a famine in the northwest, the civil war in the northeast and the elections coming next month. But truly, I tell you, I never expected this. And ATT has been very well loved as far as I could tell. Things must have been taking a terrible turn since the rebellion in the North East.

[Daniel Preissler]

Sorry, in french:
http://www.bamanet.net/index.php/actual ... ideos.html

or directly the videos with their speakers speech:





something less concrete maybe, but more independent:

[rachelnguyen]

My prayers are with the people of Mali.

[dleufer]

This is terrible. Things were pretty tense when I was there 3 weeks ago but this was unexpected.

[michi]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/military-coup-in-mali-soldiers-loot-presidency/927229/

Twenty years of progress destroyed in a single day

Michi.

[rachelnguyen]

I felt such a sense of despair yesterday...

...but after awhile, I started to feel optimistic that these buffoons are not going to be allowed to do this. And they are buffoons. There are stories of the soldiers riding around in trucks drinking beer and shooting guns into the air. The looting by the soldiers apparently got so bad the leader ordered them back to the barracks for a curfew.

I am very angry at what these guys have done to their country. At the very least they have prevented an entire city from earning a day's wages... which means that some people did not eat yesterday. They have done incredible damage to the security and well being of the whole nation.

Yesterday Sidy found out that the army has been playing his song, Mali Kadi, on the TV and Radio to try and reassure people that everything is fine. How is that for a kick in the ass? Ugh.

[Paul]

Unbelievable and yet not.. Conflict monitoring groups for West Africa don't even have a section for Mali. And yet there has been little talk so far in relation to Libya, you bomb from the North people flee south (including soldiers/mercenaries), maybe they should have a 5 year old running NATO, I think they would have grasped that concept.

[rachelnguyen]

Especially given the number of Malian Tuareg mercenaries who were in Libya... it should have been evident that all hell was going to break loose when they got home nicely equipped with guns.

Today the head of the coup actually said that his soldiers weren't the ones looting, stealing cars and gasoline. He said that anyone could buy an army uniform in the market... so it is civilians dressed like the army that are doing the looting. Uh. So how did these ''civilians'' get machine guns and army vehicles as part of their costumes? And how did they buy costumes in a market that hasn't been open for days. It is so ridiculous it is almost funny. Almost.

I keep checking the news online every hour or so waiting for word. So far not much seems to be happening. I think it will be interesting to see what happens on Monday or Tuesday, the day the army has demanded that civil servants return to work. In the mean time, I continue to keep the whole nation in my prayers... and especially pray that there can be a peaceful resolution to this mess.

[Waraba]

I am sick. How can we ask after the people we know? My friends.

[rachelnguyen]

Waraba,

On the morning of the coup, I called one of my friends in Bamako and he sounded well. I have no doubt that people are suffering as a result of this, but it doesn't seem, at this point, that people are in imminent danger. If there is a counter coup, that may change quickly. If you have any cell phone numbers, give them a try. Facebook has been a good source of info, too. Jeremy Chevrier was posting about it a few days ago.

[rachelnguyen]

Here's a blog by an American living in Bamako:

http://bamakobruce.wordpress.com/

[Waraba]

That is reassuring, Rachel, thank you. The blog was helpful, too. Who is that guy? Diplomat?

[rachelnguyen]

I am not sure who the blogger is... But I think he is an academic of some sort. I found it on Jeremy Chevrier's facebook page. He has some interesting takes on things.

My teacher is in constant contact with his family in Bamako and so far things are quiet.